Water Lillies
by Linnado Mikado
Summary: "The water's scent makes me drowsy and the tiny rippling waves were sure to take me over". Set in Tokyo, the prestigious Alice Academy contains some very interesting characters, from Koko the Gay to Hotaru the Londoner. But when you have Natsume Hyuuga, the swimming ace of the school, and Mikan Sakura, his manager. With a 2 year age gap, what's going to happen between these two?
1. A Droplet

**_Revised on 06/06/2019, 21:58 GMT  
Revised on 28/07/2019, 18:29 GMT_**

_"The water's scent makes me drowsy and the tiny rippling waves were sure to take me over"_

_By Linnado Mikkado_

**I don't own GA.****  
This story was inspired by the manga Yurayura, Yureru ;)**

_Italics_ mean either thoughts or flashbacks :)

_._

_Love is like water, We can fall in it, We can drown in it;_

_And we can't live without it_

_._

* * *

.

In the pool and around the sides were bustling with students, men with tight caps tight enough to stop their blood pumping and speedos pulled up their thighs prepared to dive into the 7ft deep pool stinking of chlorine. On the sides stood Mikan Sakura who watched over a swimmer, her clipboard was held tightly on her chest and an old stopwatch hung loosely from her neck.

The swimmer in question was Natsume Hyuuga who, said Mikan to Hotaru the day before, was "a guy who needed a pole stuck up his arse". He was doing the freestyle across the 40m pool but was doing it in such an over-expressive manner that it looked more like he was trying to not get wet in water than swimming.

_Geh, _Mikan thought disgustingly in her head, _stuck up brat._

She was hopping slightly from foot to foot on the tiled floor impatiently as she waited for him to finish his final lap around the pool, it had taken him 5 minutes which was extraordinary for a boy his age but he was qualifying for the finals and...

_For god's sake, he's sure taking his time today._

Her trail of irked thoughts was cut off by a clearly annoyed Sumire Shoda (known as Permy throughout the club) who just joined yesterday and she already had quite a, well, _solid _reputation for herself. Her arms failed around and in them, she clutched a black stopwatch. Her tomato red face bobbed about as her permed hair (which was tied quite messily into 2 mini pigtails) swung around.

_No-one really liked Sumire around the club, they all thought she just joined to get closer to Natsume._

"MIKAN!" Shouted Sumire quite blatantly while, once again, paying no attention to her surroundings. "WE'RE ONE STOPWATCH SHORT, GIMME YOURS!"

Mikan looked away from the new assistant manager and sighed angrily, she dropped her clipboard beside her and faced Sumire with a tight smile on her face. "Oh yeah, we've only had one stopwatch for some reason..." _And by some reason, I meant that you 'accidentally' dropped it in the pool while flirting with Natsume. _"Here, you can take mine." Sumire smiled and stuck her hand out for Mikan to place the watch on.

"Give it here then" demanded Permy as she flipped her hair around.

Mikan's smile grew tighter that if it got any tighter her cheeks would rip, _does__ this dumb twat actually expect me to give it to her?_

Mikan ran her hands through her messy ponytail to relieve her anger and reluctantly moved from her post. A fuzzy feeling spread throughout her legs and immobilised her, making every move more painful than the one before.

Her balance grew unstable by the second and soon she was toppling in for the pool. Sumire's shrivelling scream sent piercing waves around the club, the attention was now on Mikan as her terrified eyes were just mere millimetres from hitting the water's surface.

_Oh Lord save me now before I-_

Her thoughts were cut off as a tight grip was felt on her arm. Coldwater trickled down sending a tingling sensation throughout her body all the way to her chest as she shivered. Her jaw dropped once she opened her tightly shut eyes to face her saviour. "Great catch Natsume!" Squealed Sumire as she ran up to hold Natsume's other hand (_once again **NOT** paying attention to the pool's rules_).

Mikan eyed the raven-haired 1st year with a suspicious eye, wondering when he got out of the pool. His slick raven hair was soaked and water dripped down and onto either the tiled floor or his chiselled chest. "Thanks" she grumbled under her breath as she pulled her arm away. Half of her wanted to smile at him and give him more than 'thanks' (but Hell would have to freeze over before that happened). Another swimmer came up behind her and threw himself onto her, a wide smile fixed his face as they came on the same level.

"Mi-kan!" Said Koko cheerfully, "time me please~~", ignoring the piercing stare from Natsume he played with the stopwatch around Mikan's neck. Mikan's eyes darted to and from the boys before nodding carelessly and walked off with him to the west side of the pool. Natsume continued to stand there, his red-ringed eyes eyed Mikan and had no intention of stopping.

"Natsume!" wailed Sumire in that annoying nasally voice of hers that sounded l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶i̶g̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶i̶r̶t̶h̶ worse than a pig giving birth. Her long fingernails dug deep into his tanned skin and the other swimmers wondered how he managed to remain unaffected. To be fair, Natsume was more of a "mysterious guy who doesn't feel any pain" than a "cry-baby like-you-know-who". Instead of answering back like he normally did when thirsty girls clung to him, he pulled a Harold Holt and disappeared under the water.

Sumire was left alone like a ho without her sugar daddy (and she deserved it).

.

* * *

_._

"Ahhhhh" gushed Koko as he held his blushing face, "Natsume is so cool when he's stripped down to nothing but his trunks, he's so gorgeous!" Mikan slapped his back and struggled to hide her smile at the beet red boy who was wrapped up in a snug red towel.

"Koko, don't let it take over you, okay?" She said as she ruffled his hair, she nearly wanted spank him on the butt but soon realised how weird it would seem to the others as they didn't know about Koko and his... _fantasies. _The two were currently sitting at the sides drinking Anna's special pink lemonade (made with lemonade and cherries), Koko said that he wanted to sit down to take a good look at his love.

_What did I seriously expect from Koko?_

"Natsume normally looks like your typical mega attractive high schooler, but when he's all wet with water dripping down his juicy abs he instantly looks like a different person!"

"Koko, you've been binge-watching Jeffree Star again, haven't you?" Asked Mikan as she threw her empty bottle in the bin, "I ain't judging but you need to focus more on your studies than YouTube."

"Mikan, shut up! You don't understand my emotions right now" he accusingly pointed at Mikan as he fanned himself, "Jeffree Star is my hero, and Natsume..." his eyes dilated as he looked at the raven-haired teen, "he's**_ MY hunky Idol_!"**

The cheers filled the hall and only one name was heard above all. Natsume got ready to dive as he bent his legs and arched his back, getting ready to spring off the board. The 16-year-old paid no attention to his supporters as he dived gracefully into the blue water. His figure mesmerised everyone, his arms were perfectly arched as they sliced the water creating sparkles everywhere, and as the clear water splashed around he looked like a mermaid of some sort, elegant yet swift.

"Yeah whatever" muttered Mikan, the water ripples drowned the noise and the smell of the water intoxicated her once again. All eyes were on Natsume as he turned back to complete the 2nd lap.

_I'm envious..._

_._

* * *

_._

It was after school hours, the once busy pool was now desolate with nothing but the sound of the waves hitting the pool's sides and the- "MIKAN! WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THIS KEY? IT'S, LIKE, REALLY BUGGING ME AND I NEED TO GET HOME BECAUSE MY, LIKE, MASCARA IS DRYING UP OR SOMETHING!" Or it **_was_** nothing but the sound of the waves.

When Mikan joined the club as a 2nd year last year, she expected serenity while being surrounded by the vast body of water, **not** a whiny brat who wanted to be treated like royalty. "It's alright" she sighed, "I'm leaving last so I'll lock up." Sumire smirked and mouthed a 'thanks love' as she threw the key on the table near the exit and ran off to collect her Michael Kors bag from the lockers.

Snorting out of disbelief, Mikan sat by the pool's edge making sure that she didn't come into contact with the water. Finally, alone she could do anything that her heart desired and right now she wanted to feel the soothing atmosphere of the pool on this hot Summer's day. _People these days, SHEESH! Can't a girl catch a break? _

A boy with raven hair (that was soaked from the _steamy_ shower he took earlier, yum) strolled confidently by Mikan's side. His white top hung tightly onto his toned body due to the humidity of the place, in his hands he held a black object tangled in some thread, he half-laughed once he noticed his manager staring intensely into the pool's water. "Mikan" his deep voice rumbled, "the captain told me to return this to you."

"N-Nat?" Stammered Mikan as she twisted her head round to eye the hot teen.

(_"ANOTHER REASON WHY I HATE HIM," ranted Mikan to Hotaru during a lengthy Facetime, "IS THAT HE ALWAYS POPS OUT OF NOWHERE, LIKE, WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? A FIT DYNAMO?_")

He handed her a stopwatch tangled in white earphones, both cringed at the mess in their palms.

"What's this?" Asked Mikan, she frowned deeply causing her face to stretch a little.

(_"Don't frown," said Hotaru to Mikan on her 12th birthday, "do you know why a Blobfish looks ugly?" Mikan shook her little head, "it's because they frown a lot. That's why they live at the bottom of the sea, the sadness got to their friends and killed them all." Mikan Sakura was traumatised for lif_e.)

"It looks like Sumire when she fell into the pool the other day, an ugly mess."

Natsume smirked slightly as he handed the object to her, "untangle it".

Mikan glared at him for a bit but shrugged carelessly and bit her lips to avoid herself from blushing because the last thing she wanted was for him to think that she liked him_, and hunny, that ain't happening._ "It's a** lil** bit broken" she emphasised the 'lil' as she pointed to the battery case of the stopwatch, "but I can untangle it for you if, you want a broken stopwatch that is." One nod from Natsume and Mikan got to work, she didn't fix it (_there's only so much one girl can do_) but he seemed happy with the results (if keeping a straight face is considered happiness).

"You should've pushed the earbud that way, you've just broken it more than you did before, idiot," stated Natsume, "talk about being unprofessional."

Mikan gaped at him, "um, excuse me? Who are you calling unprofessional? As if you're one to talk, mind you, I was awarded the 'nicest student' award back in elementary and here I am talking to a guy who can't appreciate the small things in life." She clicked her tongue and was starting to act like Sumire. "At least I'm smart enough to know that when you're swimming it messes up your hair anyway so why do you even bother carrying hair gel around with you?."

Natsume rolled his eyes and muttered, "don't really want to hear that from a woman who can't swim to save her life, thanks." Mikan eyed him and despite her being a head shorter than him she heard him - you should never underestimate the power of the midgets.

"What did you just say?" Asked Mikan as she flipped her ponytail, "I demand an answer right now Natsume Hyuuga."

He closed in on her and said it right to her face, his words showed no hesitation despite her being 2 years older than him, "you. can't. swim" he stated and smirked as she whipped her head up to face him, "so why bother managing the swimming club?"

Mikan opened her mouth to talk back at him but nothing came out, instead, she ended up looking like Nemo with her eyes bulging out and her mouth wide enough to fit a fistful of coral.

"Well," she started.

_She needed to_ get_ out of this one._

_._

* * *

.

**_5 YEARS AGO_**

_The fear started when Mikan's best friend for 10 years, Hotaru Imai, decided to leave for England. She wasn't the most attractive girl in the world, (and she knew that), but she had a brain smart enough to name her Einstein 2.0. The school they went to discovered her talent in making artwork from scruffy bits of metal and with her success came the school's success, so what did they do? Send her to London of course where they thought she would thrive and come back as a rich and talented student, just so they could brag about it._

_It was about a day before her flight from Haneda Airport to Heathrow, and Mikan, being Mikan, wanted to make their last 24 hours together memorable._

_"I want to watch Finding Nemo," demanded Hotaru Imai as she munched on a Custard Cream, the 13 year old's lunch was disturbed by a rather eager brunette haired kid in a pink dress covered in mud, Mikan tightened her fist at her tone but told herself that they're best friends so it shouldn't be a problem, right? So she told Hotaru 'no problemo best friendo' and rummaged through her decade-old collection of Disney movies (courtesy of Hotaru's brother for giving her the movie for her birthday) and the two sat down in the living room to watch - sadly without the popcorn, but hey, crisps work too._

_"Mikan," said Hotaru, her voice was slightly muted due to her mouth being filled with food, "she reminds me of you." Mikan perked her head up and followed the monotone teen's finger to a blue fish named Dory on the screen. Her eyes sparkled with childlike innocence and she puffed her cheeks out making her pale skin appear strawberry red._

_SHE'S SO CUTE! She glanced at Hotaru and smiled gleefully, IS THIS A MIRACLE? IS HOTARU ACTUALLY CALLING ME CUTE?_

_"Aw shucks Hot-a-ruuuuu!" She imitated Minnie Mouse and held her cheeks, "thanks for calling me cute!"_

_Hotaru choked on her water and stared at her "friend" with a questioning stare, "I'm calling you dumb, you noodle", she ignored the crestfallen look Mikan portrayed on her face as she picked on the carpeted floor, "but I guess she is kind of cute... In a way." She paused the movie and looked at Mikan, a sigh escaped from her mouth and she pulled her hair, "wanna go to the swimming pool? It's open today and it's free for students from our school." Asked Hotaru in an attempt to cheer her gloomy friend up._

_Mikan yelped in pain but nodded her head fervently, "YES! LET'S GO!"_

_"Be careful though, I heard that Bruce the shark lives in the pool and he feeds on little girls." Joked Hotaru as she went into the kitchen, "we don't want you dying now do we?"_

_Mikan gulped and went as pale as a sheet of paper._

_And that's why she never learned how to swim._

_._

* * *

_._

"Natsume, it's really rude to ask your manager such a personal question." Mikan chuckled nervously as she took multiple steps back, "as your SENPAI and manager I recommend that you take a nice cold shower, how about that?"

He shrugged indifferently, "it's kinda obvious."

Mikan staggered backwards and with each step, she was getting nearer to the pool, "WELL, I think that- WOAH!"

Natsume was thrown into the pool after Mikan grabbed him. His entire body caused a massive splash, soaking everything. He glared at Mikan who managed to stay on the side and remain dry, his eyes narrowed and water dripped from his hair down to the scowl painted on his handsome face. Mikan couldn't help smiling, she could imagine the thoughts running through his head like:

_What a shitty day _or _I should've gone home when I had the chance, damn it _or even...

"Damn brat, you better apologise" he growled.

"Oh my God, I'm SO sorry Natsume-kun, I did it out of reflex," she smiled sweetly and apologised but it had so much sarcasm oozing out of her words that Natsume rolled his eyes, "by the way, how'd you know that..." She lowered her voice to a whisper in case there were any swimmers left around the place, "that I can't swim?"

Unfortunately for poor Mikan he swam away from her, to be fair she shouldn't have expected an answer in the first place:

_("Don't bother talking to him," said Anna to Mik__an during lunch, "he never answers anyone and it's a surprise that he even has fans"_._ "Yeah," chimed in Nonoko, "it's like the only good thing about him are his heavenly good looks" she munched on a fry before adding in a quick "not that I like him of course.")_

She closed her eyes and huffed "aren't you gonna answer me?"

"It's hot" replied Natsume as he grabbed his shirt and attempted to fan himself.

("_OH, and when you do ask him something" continued Anna "he just changes the subject. Like, what the fuck Natsume Hyuuga, I'm talking to you and the nicest thing you could do is answer_.")

Despite being submerged under the chlorinated pool that people secretly secrete in during races, his tall torso and muscular arms were still visible even under his t-shirt.

Mikan felt irritation rise in her system.

_DID THIS DUNCE JUST CHANGE THE SUBJECT? _

She pinched herself on the arm to encourage positive thoughts. _K__eep__ calm Sakura, might as well keep this rare conversation flowing._

"Yeah it's pretty hot isn't it?" She sat down on the side so her feet were fully covered by the cool water.

_This little piece of shit._

"Do you like summer Natsume?"

He kept on splashing around, creating tiny ripples forming on the water's surface. Every few strokes he did caused new mesmerising waves to form, each one moving symmetrically with the other as dancers might, graceful and intricate.

"It feels gross when I start sweating," he said, it seemed like he didn't really want to answer as he closed his eyes in annoyance, "and the humidity makes it hard to-"

"Breath normally, right?" He glared a little at Mikan for interrupting the rare moment where Natsume Hyuuga actually answered someone, she smiled playfully and looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, "I never expected you to swim ya know? When you first came a lot of people thought you were a model of some sort, because of your height and legs... I heard some members talk about how Narumi-sensei once complimented your artwork so I thought you were interested in it."

_That made me sound like a complete nonce__, way to go Mikan._

He floated on his back and looked up at the ceiling, there was no expression on his face and water dripped down from his soaked hair to the water below, "really now?" Although she couldn't see his face, Mikan could hear him click his tongue and grumble some incoherent words.

She stared at him, "I'm the manager you know, I've been looking over you since you joined the team." Her eyes drifted to his face which was covered by his dark locks, "do you even like swimming?" Instead of answering as he had done previously, he dived under the water causing Mikan to eep in surprise, water from the action splashed everywhere soaking Mikan's hair making her sigh in discontent. "You bastard..." she muttered, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

He emerged in front of Mikan and smirked but his eyes didn't reflect the same emotion that was portrayed on his face. He reached out for her hand and held it tightly in his.

"If I didn't" he breathed out, "then why do you think I'm here?"

She was speechless, all she could feel were the chills running down her spine from the cool temperature of the water touching her skin, his eyes looked as if they were peering into her soul and at this moment she got her first full view of his face.

_He has really nice eyes... WAIT, STOP._

"Natsume," she gritted her teeth and tried to pull her hand away but he wouldn't budge, "can you no-"

He ignored her and climbed up the ladder to where she was, "I'm taking you home," he said, his tone was firm as if he wasn't going to accept a no, "just because I'm leaving too and I wouldn't want this little baby manager of mine to be walking home alone."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BABY?"

"Nice bra by the way" he pointed out as he grabbed a towel from the side, "the red dots really stand out through your wet top".

"YOU PERVERT!" She screamed as she stood up abruptly to follow him.

_I HATE THIS KID SO MUCH!_

_._

* * *

_._

_He sat on a leather chair opposite the huge mahogany desk filled with files, on the wall behind him was a cabinet filled with trophies and medals of different sizes and shapes varying from stars to circles. A 15-year-old boy sat in front of the desk on a cream coloured chair, his facial expression was calm and poised but inside, his stomach did flips and turns._

_"You know why you're here, right?" Asked the man on the leather chair. The boy nodded slowly before opening his mouth to speak, crimson eyes clashed with crimson._

_"Yeah" he replied, "and I've been telling you for the past few days that I've already applied for Nasitra Academy in central Tokyo, it's..." He paused and glanced at the man in front of him who's stare remained unfazed, "an Institute of Art and Design, Ruka says he'll go if I go and since it's pretty well known around the area I took the exam." _

_The man sighed and the boy leaned back slightly, posture rigid and hands clung tightly onto his seat. "We've been through this before, and it still seems like you want to go to Nasitra Academy," the boy nodded._

_"Yeah, I do." The man closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose before sliding a pamphlet across his desk._

_"Here," he said, the boy took the pamphlet and scanned through it, "I want you to forget about Nasitra Academy and your clown hobby. The pamphlet you're holding right now is all about Alice Academy, it's situated in the east of Tokyo and all of their students excel at something useful" his voice was hard and full of authority - clearly, no wasn't an option._

_The boy placed the pamphlet down and looked up at him, "I said that I've already-" he was immediately cut off by the terrifying figure of the grown man in front of him, the man's expression wasn't calm anymore, his eyes glared at the young boy in front of him. He stood up from his seat and tried to intimidate him._

_"Natsume" he stressed the name out as if he was tired of saying the same thing over and over again, "I'm doing this for your own good. Art isn't going to get you anywhere in life." He picked up the pamphlet and threw it in his face, causing him to flinch slightly, "do you really think that your art is something to be proud of?" The boy stayed silent. The man sighed long and hard before walking towards the exit, "even though the school is known to rank high every single year, it also specialises in sports - mainly swimming. I want you to go there and become the ace of that school so you can beat Ruka Nogi, did you know that he topped the national leader boards? It was in the newspaper and my blood boiled when I saw that because my nephew is so incompetent that he can't even beat that feminine doll." He opened the door and stepped out, "your father and I joined the swim team and we won every single competition in Japan and I expect the same from you." He stared at the trophies before sighing, "don't bring the Hyuuga name your parents tried so hard to maintain to shame."_

_Natsume clicked his tongue and stood up to face him, "you're not my dad, you can't tell me what to do!"_

_But the man paid no attention to him and slammed the door shut and left him alone. He was only 15._

_._

* * *

_._

"It's 'cause of my friend," said Mikan as she licked her popsicle. She and Natsume were on their way home when an ice-cream van decided to stop outside of the school, Mikan (being Mikan) decided to treat her junior thinking that if she did he would finally respect her. "She told me that the pool had a shark in it, so I kinda..." She laughed nervously at the boy whose main focus was on trying to prevent his hair from sticking to the lolly.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

Natsume's eyes focused on her, "even now you're still pretty stupid." Mikan sucked in some air and breathed out roughly before scowling.

"ARGH!" She threw her bag on the floor and massaged her shoulder while keeping the ice lolly between her teeth, "Jesus that was heavy, BUT HOW'D YOU KNOW THAT I CAN'T-" She covered her mouth and widened her eyes, Natsume just carried on eating, "that I can't swim?"

Natsume took the lolly out revealing his blue tongue, he then grinned saucily at her, "you're too easy to read, feel lucky that it was me who found out and not someone else." He popped the popsicle back into his mouth but the smirk was still visible. Mikan rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Yeah, gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically, "but it's not like I was hiding it or anything, I just..."

Natsume crouched down on the floor and looked at her from below, the girl looked troubled as she mindlessly twirled her hair while ignoring the blue raspberry lolly which was melting quickly in her hands, the blue dripped onto the floor and stained the pavement just to go unnoticed by Mikan. She sighed slowly, "it's just a little bit embarrassing I guess, I mean have you-" She was cut off by Natsume completing her sentence for her.

"Ever heard of a swimming manager who can't swim?" He smirked at her 'ugh' face, he continued, "isn't it weird how we finish each other's sentences? That must mean that we're compatible."

Mikan clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "yeah sure, in case you didn't know I'm 2 years older than you AND I'm applying for uni soon. Your fans are gonna call me a thief if I date you, plus" she glared at him, "I don't like you."

He waved the lolly in front of her face before popping it back in his mouth and walked off, "you never know. I might take it if it's you, Mikan senpai" he stressed the 'senpai' part as he spoke over his shoulder, Mikan fumed at the boy who was already disappearing in front of her.

"YOU GOD DAMN PLAYBOY!" She screamed causing the birds around them to fly off in fright, "AND PAY ME BACK, I PAID FOR THE POPSICLE YA KNOW!"

_FUCKING TWAT, SMOOTH TALKER! Uhhh... SON OF A BITCH!_

The evening sun left the peach coloured sky and the cotton candy clouds drifted away revealing the stars hiding behind. All was peaceful apart from the angry murmuring of an 18-year-old girl who was cursing quietly at someone who was no-where to be seen. She was going to deal with him tomorrow - which was unlikely.

_._

* * *

_._

_**The next day:**_

"Mikaaaan~" whined a sweaty Koko, he made the face of a puppy and frowned slightly to get empathy from Mikan who was happily watching from the sides, "why are you making me swim so much? It's not like I'm going to get abs like Natsume from doing this," he looked at his stomach and played around with the fat before sighing.

"And I don't think you're ever going to get them" replied Mikan as she raised her brow while eyeing his stomach, Koko gasped loudly and held his chest in a dramatic manner, his actions pretty much summed up his emotions at that moment.

"What did you just say?" He overexaggerated his actions as he looked at her square in the eyes and Mikan had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from laughing, "I MAY BE A BIT PLUMP HERE AND THERE BUT IT AIN'T LIKE IM NEVER GONNA GET ABS!"

Mikan laughed causing Koko's cheeks to sport a tinge of pink, "stop contradicting yourself, idiot!" Koko (although he quite liked the way she smiled) sat by the edge of the pool with his arms crossed and his lips in a slight pout, not daring to look at her.

"Who are you calling an idiot, you kid leader?" He grumbled as he ignored the puzzling look on his manager's face, "you look like a nonce with that baby face of yours".

Mikan puffed her cheeks out and slapped him on the back causing him to welp, "gotta go Koko Pops! Manager duty calls, see you 'round!" She speed-walked outta there (because unlike Sumire the drama queen of GA's Swim Team, Mikan Sakura follows the rules) partially ignoring the shouts from Koko as he wailed stuff like:

'What about me you cold-hearted brat!?' and 'STOP CALLING ME KOKO POPS!'

_Ah, I love calling him that._

_._

* * *

_._

The dark corridor leading up to the school's very own "supreme"-

(_"which surprisingly stinks worse than a submarine," said Anna as she held her chin, "funny ain't it? Cuz I expected a school as rich as this to actually have decent smelling corridors"_)

-changing rooms looked like something from a horror movie. Along the chipping walls, which acted as a breeding place for mould, stood worn out lockers with boxers and trunks of varying sizes thrown all over the place, mostly missing the doors but hey, at least it gave the place a more homely feel right?

_I really need to stop looking on the bright side of life_ thought Mikan as she held the tip of her nose in an attempt to block the disgusting smell of the place, _this place reeks._

From the corner of her eyes, she noticed two boys who were, err... A̶p̶p̶r̶o̶x̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶l̶y̶, definitely taller than her with juicy abs leaning against the wall, both were absorbed in their own conversation and so was Mikan - not in what they were talking about but **something else** (͠ ͜ʖ͠)

_God, yummy men really do make a place like this bearable, now I can see why Sumire drools so much_, she wiped the side of her mouth and fixed her hair before walking up to them. "Hey, guys! Skipping practise, huh? You rebels," she grinned slightly at the look on their faces.

"Hi Sakura-Senpai," replied one of the men, his blonde hair was swept to the side as he pulled his trunks up, "we were just talking a bit, nothing bad I promise," even though he looked like Leonardo DiCaprio back when he was hot, he didn't sway Mikan **_that much_**.

"And dogs can fly," she replied sarcastically as she grabbed a clump of her hair and moved it out of her face, "I'm not buying it guys."

The other guy who was an inch taller than the other butted in, his artificially dyed hair that looked like blue seaweed matched the blue star tattoo underneath his eye. "Seriously Mikan, we were just having a bit of fun, it's not like we missed much anyway," his blue eyes went back and forth between his friend and Mikan, "want to hear something interesting?" Mikan tilted her head but stayed quiet, "remember manager Luna and Reo from class A and how they withdrew from the club on the SAME day?"

Mikan nodded, "and this is relevant because..."

The boy continued, "apparently it was because manager Yuu found them having sex in one of the shower stalls." Mikan cringed at this, _how kinky_.

Blonde Leonardo DiCaprio intercepted, "he snitched on them and told Jinno-Sensei, that's why the no dating rule took place, because manager Yuu, for some strange reason, has never seen porn before in his life." The other dude nodded.

"Jesus, it's because of him we can't date any of the hot managers in this club. My love life is almost non-existent now. Fuck, don't they understand that I'm a guy with needs?" He sighed, "I too want a hot girlfriend".

"Yeah cool," replied Mikan,_ I hope they realise that Luna left because she stole Natsume's trunks because she wanted to smell them and Reo because he moved, it was just pure coincidence that they left on the same day_. "Well then guys, you do you and I'll be on my way" she smiled at them both before stepping away to escape.

"What are you guys talkin' about?" Asked a deep masculine voice, "and Tsubasa, why are you wearing my spare trunks?"

Mikan froze and cursed in her head, _not this fucking money-stealing brat_. "Nat, call me senpai and it's cuz your trunks are neat" replied tattoo boy, Natsume looked unamused, "by the way, did you know that manager Yuu was the cause for the no dating ban?"

Natsume's muscles glistened as the water on them reflected the light from the lamps above, his wet body made Mikan feel like squeezing them. "Yeah" replied Natsume as he looked at Mikan's conflicted face, she noticed how they contracted as he looked at her, "so?"

_I want to squeeze his muscles, does this mean that I have a muscle fetish?_

"I bet you're sulking inside," said the other, "you probably have a crush on one of the managers like everyone else does". They snickered slightly as they nudged each other, both eyes were on Mikan and her sweaty, hot face.

Natsume rolled his eyes as he got the message, "yeah so what about it? A guy can't keep it in for long enough you know?" He smirked suggestively as he watched Mikan squirm in her place, her fists shook as her face moulded into one which looked like she wanted to hide.

_What does he mean by he can't keep it in for long enough? Does he mean what I think he means?_

"Okay, guys that's enough!" Shouted Mikan as she nervously laughed, "you guys can keep your sexual innuendos away from the club and AWAY from my virgin ears, thank you very much", she pointed accusingly at Natsume, "and that includes you too Hyuuga, now don't you start smiling at me because it's NOT funny". She huffed slightly as she turned around to leave.

_Boys will always be boys, my poor ears have been tainted by such atrocity._

_._

* * *

_._

**_Natsume_**

She hurried out of the room as she hopped slightly, it's a sign that she's uncomfortable _and I know this 'cause whenever she's faced with a difficult situation she starts hopping slightly like a rabbit._

He smirked,_ cute._

Ruka and Tsubasa leaned against the wall of the dim room but even in this lighting the expressions on their faces were clear - it was amusement.

"So you like Sakura huh?" Asked Ruka in an attempt to start a conversation, "she's cute", he nodded with satisfaction as he looked at his best friend.

Tsubasa covered his eyes and laughed, both Ruka and Natsume stared at him in bewilderment (although it really wasn't that obvious on Natsume's face).

"So that's the type of girl you like Natsu?" He raked his blue hair and smiled, "she's hot, not to mention hard-working and funny, might take her while you're not looking" he stuck his tongue out and winked.

_Yuck._

"You wouldn't fucking dare, baldy" spat Natsume as he glared at him in disgust, "she's mine."

Ruka smiled nervously, "how are you even going to date her if we have a dating ban? You know Sakura-Senpai, she hates to break the rules". Natsume closed his eyes and sighed, when he opened them again the crimson colour in them seemed to have gotten brighter and he smirked deviously at them.

"I'm a rule breaker, Ruka," he said as he tapped his foot on the floor, "and a very convincing guy, I thank my good looks for that." He licked his lips and swallowed, whatever he did he did it with confidence which made him not only look 10x hotter but also hard to beat.

"Oh jeez, this is getting interesting!" Said Tsubasa as he grinned from ear to ear, "haven't seen you this fired up since that art competition back in Middle School, heck, I remember when you stayed up all night for-" He immediately shut up when he noticed the brooding expression on Natsume's face, and how Ruka nervously bit his lip as he glanced at his best friend. "You know what?" Asked Tsubasa, "Imma just shut up now, haha..." He laughed nervously as he tried to lighten the mood.

Natsume punched the wall next to him, "if I could burn you right now I would, old man" before he walked out to the swimming pool, Ruka looked at Tsubasa and shook his head.

"You seriously messed up, that topic is forbidden remember?"

Tsubasa nodded mindlessly not paying any attention to what Ruka just said, "by the way, even if Natsume confesses, somehow magically, do you think that Mikan would even accept him?" His eyes went to the door Natsume left from, a frown fixed on his face as he did so.

"Who knows" replied Ruka as he shrugged, "I guess it's all up to them".

_._

* * *

_._

Mikan speed-walked outta there like Usain Bolt on crack, her thin hands clutched her face as it grew warmer by the second, the scene before replayed in her head like a gif on loop and it just wouldn't leave.

_Holy shit, Holy shit,_ _Ho-Lee Shiiiiit_

_What did he mean by that?_

_Why was he looking at meeee?_

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god._

"I think I'm suffering from some mental disorder, somebody help me" whined Mikan silently as she moved around the rim of the pool, "I don't even understand my own teammates, why were they looking at me? Why did he smirk at me? I think I need another shot of Anna's lemonade ASAP!" She lifted a hand to her head to massage her scalp, she was stopped by a warm hand clutching her arm. Mikan nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden contact, she gulped as she looked up and her guess was right.

"What?" Replied Natsume as Mikan pulled a 'where the fuck did you come from?' face. "Close your mouth polka dots, I know that I'm good looking," he said proudly as he pretended to check her out, "too bad I'm exclusive".

Mikan shut her mouth and pushed him away from her, "yeah well too bad you're not my type, pervert." She turned around and prepared to leave before Natsume called her out.

"Mikan" his voice erupted a feeling in her chest but Mikan threw it aside and identified it as disgust, _yeah this feeling must be just plain ol' disgust._ She didn't turn around fearing that she might accidentally-on-purpose push him headfirst into the pool if she did.

"What?" she replied, irritation laced her tone, _if I look at him in the face I'll probably either have the urge to push a bible down his throat or soak him in holy water._

Natsume sighed silently as he raked a hand through his hair, messing it up in the process (even though it made him look hotter than ever). "You know" he paused as he stared at her back, "the finals are tomorrow and-"

Mikan cut him off, she turned around lazily and puffed her cheeks out before exhaling all that air. "No shit Natsume, I'm the swimming club's manager and I'm pretty sure I know this stuff" she replied sarcastically as she smiled at the end.

The raven teen rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, making it obvious to the world that he was **_highly_** irritated by the brunette in front of him. "You know what Polka Dots? Why don't you just shut up for a minute and let me fucking talk?"

Mikan raised her brows and compressed her lips into a thin line, "oh okay, I'll shut up, sure I'm fine with it, definitely." She crossed her arms as she cocked her head to the side as she waited for him to talk.

"Well, Hyuuga? Aren't you gonna talk?."

_._

* * *

_._

**_Natsume - Fast forward a day hey hey_**

"NATSUME-SAMMAAA!" Yelled a permed haired as she waved her 'I ️LOVE NATSUME' banner around, "I KNOW YOU'LL WIIIIN! COME ON! DO YOUR BEST!"

Natsume snorted out of disbelief at the fan who was literally screaming his name out of her mouth, there were about 100 more carbon copies of her sitting at the viewing seats waiting for the competition to begin.

_Dumbasses, _thought Natsume as he sucked the water out of his water bottle,_ I couldn't care less whether they were here or not._

He squished the plastic and threw it next to his towel before walking off to the waiting room where all the other members of the club were resting, waiting anxiously for their turn to dive into the blue.

As his eyes wandered to the crowd, his mind went back to the day before and the conversation he had with his manager:

_._

_Natsume Hyuuga inhaled deeply through his gritted teeth making the hissing sound as he rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to help him think - it didn't work but a guy's gotta keep on trying. It was probably the 1st time in his life that Natsume Freaking Hyuuga tried to choose his words carefully in order to not make a girl feel like killing him because right now (although she looked innocently cute) Mikan Sakura could well try to kick him the balls._

_"Well, Hyuuga?" The brunette stared at him, she tried her hand at glaring like he's done multiple times but it just made her look like a deranged racoon, "aren't you gonna talk? Because..." She imitated the hissing noise he made earlier, "I have a lot of things I could be doing right now and sadly talking to you isn't one of them." She faked a smile._

_"It could be one" he bit his lip seductively and whispered hotly into her ear, "if you want it to be."_

_A fury of red covered her face as she harshly pushed him away, "listen here you fuckboy, if you're just here to play with me then I think you should kindly fuck off." She turned around to leave, making sure to hit him with her ponytail as she did so for added effect._

_"I can hear you, you know" shouted the raven-haired boy at her retreating figure, hearing him speak made Mikan freeze in her place. "I might be a fuckboy to you but I really did..." he tilted his head from side-to-side as he licked his lips "appreciate it when you cheered for me last time."_

_She finally turned around to face him, he looked at her square in the eyes before finally adding:_

_"Out of all the cheers in the room only your voice reaches my ears" he swallowed nervously, "please cheer for me this time too."_

_He turned around swiftly and walked away, missing the small smile that adorned her face._

_._

* * *

_._

**_After the competition_**

"We seem to always meet when the pool's empty huh?" Her eyes gazed over the pool. The soft light from the evening sun was accompanied by the splashing of the water against the pool-side tiles.

The boy looked at her side portrait and scoffed before lying down, his soaked raven hair sprawled out on the white tiles as he quietly breathed out. "I told you that I could hear you" he tried to do his infamous smirk to mask his disappointment, his eyes drooped slowly as his heart pounded at a steady pace but with each one stabbing his chest.

She stiffened slightly, "it's not like that..." she paused briefly, "I just didn't think you'd hear me since you have so many fans".

He chuckled slightly, his deep voice sent a rumbling through her heart, "you're different" he said.

_I always seem to hear you_

_._

**Flashback**

_It was the day of the competition and here Mikan was in the changing room having a conflict between her heart and head, to go or not to go? That is the question._

_"Like, should I go?" Mikan spoke to herself as if she could give herself an answer, "I mean, I'm his senpai and I guess we're friends so I should support him, right? But then again, just because he told me to cheer for him doesn't mean that I must, it's not part of my job to attend the competition anyway." She sighed and hit her head against a locker door, "why am I such an idiot? Mikan, you should obviously go, I mean he practically came and asked you too." _

_She walked towards the door leading to the pool, the screams of countless fans (male and female alike) could be heard, the name 'Natsume Hyuuga' definitely dominated the pool._

_Her grip on the handle slowly loosened, she stepped back and huffed._

_"Yeah, maybe not."_

_._

She punched him lightly on the arm, "I swear to god Natsume, do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?" She asked him teasingly, the boy, on the other hand, didn't look as jolly. Instead, he remained quiet, as soon as Mikan noticed this she stopped and smiled nervously. "Are you okay Natsume?"

"Do you have to flirt with every guy you meet?" He asked, but his tone was bitter stirring up more confusion in Mikan's head.

She furrowed her eyebrows and stared at him, "what are you on about? I haven't flirted with anyone and even if I have why are you so mad? It's just a joke you asswipe."

_'To you, yeah'_, he grumbled, "use what's left of your tiny brain to think, polka-dots."

She licked and pursed her lips before shaking her head, a scoff escaped as she spoke, "oh no you JUST didn't!"

He raised an eyebrow.

After all, she clearly didn't understand what had happened a few hours before.

_._

**Flashback**

_"Hey, Mikan!" Yelled a strangely high-pitched yet masculine voice behind her. She rotated her head slightly to peek over her shoulders and was (practically) thrown to the wall by the said person as he hugged her tightly._ _"Manager Mik, I thought you said you weren't coming, guess you couldn't stay away from my man but lemme tell you something, sis he's mine." He made 'the face' and let go._

_"KOKO! I DO **NOT** LIKE HIM."_

_He raised both eyebrows, "never said you did"._

_She smiled nervously and cleared her throat but the blush was still evident, "by the way, why are you here? You aren't even qualified to take part in the competition so..." She viewed him from head to toe, "explanation s'il vous plait merci beaucoup."_

_He touched her hair and stroked it (meow), "wow Mikan, do you use Pantene? Your hair is super soft and perfect for-" He went blank for a moment and made an 'o' face and went back to the conversation, "yeah I'm actually here to support my hunky husband Natsume Hyuuga as he strips down naked on the diving board and shows off his juicy 8 pack god-like abs before skinny-dipping into the pool, actually." Now it was her turn to make an 'o' face, "who am I kidding Mikan? I can't even approach him!"_

_He started to let out a groan as he rested his head comfortably on her shoulder. "Koko, I think you should make friends with him first, you know, so you can at least know what he's like and I can assure you, he's ugly."_

_"No Mikan, you just don't understand. I don't even think he likes me! HE HATES ME!"_

_"And why do you think that?" She asked him as he raised his head._

_"Because! Because because because, Mikan, he always glares at me! It's like those dagger glares which says 'I'll kill you' in a deep ass voice and it's driving me nuts!" He groaned, "I'M 365 SO STRESSED!"_

_He quickly piped in, "do you think he knows that I like him? Does he hate me because of that? Do you think that he knows that I have dreams about him?" He widened his eyes and looked at her in fear before adding in a quieter voice, "could it be that he's taken?"_

_She blinked, "what?" Even though the pool was just behind the door at the end of the hallway, the screams were deafening and it made it hard to hear, it was actually a miracle that Mikan could even hear the conversation so far._

_He faced her and their faces were so close that anyone who stood behind them would think that they were kissing, "I think he's dating that blonde Greek god." He whispered._ _He leaned in closer and it was Mikan's turn to realise what was happening, no wonder he was around him all the time._

_"Fuck, he's gay too."_

_And all of this didn't go unnoticed by the guy standing near the door behind the pair with a towel wrapped around his neck._

_._

* * *

_._

"I think I just did", he replied dryly. His head was tilted to the side as he watched her succumb into a fury, normally he would've found this quite funny to watch if he hadn't seen what had happened earlier.

She clicked her tongue, "you know what Natsume? You have this strange ability to make me feel like killing you every time we're together, it's actually pretty amazing how I haven't drowned you yet." She faked a smile, "and I wonder why I haven't."

"Blessed to know that you like me enough to not drown me", he said with his famous straight face (which only irritated her more).

"Yeah, Natsume, what's actually wrong with you? You're not acting like yourself."

He side-eyed her for a second and muttered, "what do you know about me?"

She pouted slightly, "we're friends Natsume, well... I think of you as a friend, I don't know about you... but I know that we don't know much about each other's backgrounds yet but the Natsume I know wouldn't be acting like some moody dumbass right now."

He just grunted and remained silent.

She let out a huge 'UGH' and began to shake him while shouting because that's what Mikan Sakura does best, "do you ALWAYS have to be SO godamN annoying?" She groaned before breathing out heavily and looked at him, "if you want to say something, then say it. Please! You have a mouth for a reason and it would make my life SO much easier!"

He covered his ears and rolled his eyes, "I'm talking to you right now."

She mentally face-palmed herself and massaged her temples, "way to go smartass, no wonder you always top the leaderboards when it's exam season."

Natsume shifted near her slightly and raked a hand through his wet hair, "and now I know why you always come last."

"You-" She was about to retort back when a glimmer from the water caught her eye. The setting sun filtered in hues of purple, orange and red through the glass roof which reflected across the pool's surface. The sight took her breath away and accompanied by the soft sound of the water, it was truly paradise. "Woah," her eyes sparkled, "look Natsume, it's like we're inside a piece of artwork." He didn't turn his head round to where she was pointing but instead continued to look at her, his eyes softened slightly and he leaned back comfortably with his feet dipped into the pool. "What's that painting called again?" She asked without taking her eyes off the pool, "that one painting president Yuu was talking about in assembly."

"Claude Monet Water-Lily Pond in the Evening." He said in a single breath, his voice low to match the mood he was feeling right now.

She nodded slowly, "yeah," she breathed out carefully, "it's just like that. Really pretty isn't it?"

"Yeah," he muttered while still looking at her, "it really is pretty."

"Eh?" His words took her off guard as she noticed that he wasn't even looking at the water. She felt her face heat up and silently hoped that it was dark enough so that he wouldn't see her blush. "What did you say?" She hoped that she had just misheard him as her stomach starting acting up again.

He raised a brow slightly and licked his lips.

Realising that he had just completely broken the romantic atmosphere he was going for by saying something that was only meant to be said in his head, Natsume came up with a quick reply to save himself from embarrassment. "If you think it's so pretty why don't you jump in?"

"Natsume what-?" Her eyes grew as big as saucers as 2 muscular arms pushed her hard enough to make her fall back. She tightly shut and sent an ear-piercing scream while repeating numerous prayers inside her head, hoping that today wasn't going to be her death day.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

.

* * *

.

"Can you shut up?"

Not feeling any water on her skin Mikan slowly opened her eyes and a chill went down her spine. Natsume's face was incredibly close to hers and water dripped down from the tip of his nose onto her cheek. His face looked slightly concerned but what confused Mikan the most was the way his arms were snaked around her waist and legs.

In short, Natsume Hyuuga, the apple of the eyes of many girls, was holding Mikan Sakura, his senpai and manager, bridal style. In the pool. With him soaking wet.

"YOU!" Mikan shouted at the top of her lungs which made him cringe, "LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW THIS IS SEXUAL ASSAULT!"

He rolled his eyes and started walking towards the deeper end of the pool, "Jesus Christ, you never fail to surprise me with how loud you can get."

She puffed her cheeks childishly and tried to push him away from her, "okay now you're REALLY testing my patience, let. Me. Go. RIGHT NOW!"

"So you want me to let you go?" He asked teasingly as he pulled her away from his chest, thinking that he was going to drop her Mikan shook her head ferociously as she dug her nails into his back.

"NO! NO! NO! DON'T YOU DARE YOU BASTARD!" Yelled the brunette as she clung onto him tightly, "IF YOU DO I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL ACTUALLY-"

He chuckled quietly at her actions making Mikan look at him questionably, she had seen him smile before but not when his _goddamn godly looking chiselled face _was right in front of her.

_Holy crap I hope my breath isn't stinky or anything, he's so annoyingly good looking ugh. Wait good looking? No, he's ugly, yes, ugly. The only good looking person in this world is Kim Myungsoo and only Kim Myungsoo, Natsume is nothing compared to him, yes, nothing._

"Finished thinking yet? The sudden silence is actually annoying me".

She rolled her eyes and glared at him, "I wasn't thinking of you so go away."

He smirked, _'never said you did idiot,' _and with a whisper, he leaned in close to her ear and said, "really?"

She gulped and avoided eye contact, butterflies threatened to rip out of her stomach and she could feel the blood pump in her temple as she spoke. "Don't drop me" she pleaded quietly against his ear, the hotness and closeness of the brunette made his ear twitch, "if you do I swear to god you'll regret it."

She will never admit it but it was nice to be held by him, even though the pool was cold, he seemed to radiate his own heat. He had a homely feeling, like an 'I'm gonna protect you so don't worry' kind of feeling and not a 'I'm being forced to carry you and you're heavy' kind of feeling.

His chest ached, from not pain but pleasure, as he whispered back to her, "I'm taking you back to the side, I won't drop you so stop mumbling polka dots."

And this time she didn't complain but kept quiet as he slowly swam back to the sides. Looking down at her he smiled inwardly and his chest kept on poking him painfully. Now was a good time, he thought, but was it? She was probably dating that guy who sticks to her like glue, after all, they looked like they were going to kiss earlier and if Natsume saw that, it wouldn't have been pretty.

After a long sigh and a quick fix of his hair, Natsume Hyuuga made up his mind.

_Fuck this, I only live once._

"Oi Mikan!" He shouted at her quite harshly causing the dazed girl to snap her head up.

"What?"

She subconsciously bit her lips as his crimson eyes looked intently at hers. They had been at the pool for nearly 2 hours now and the sun had completely set, the only light was that from the moon which made him look even more breathtaking. Coldwater dripped from his hair as it covered his right eye, the water glistened on his skin and reflected the moonlight.

It was at this time that Mikan finally had a good look at Natsume, he was definitely not ugly, for sure. She noticed how both of his eyes were crimson, that was an obvious fact, but not a shade that was easy to describe. They were both a rich shade of the colour, a darker shade in the centre but a slightly lighter one creeping around the edges of the iris as if it was trying to take over.

His hair, though wet and limp, contrasted against his slightly pale skin. His hair was not too long, not too short. Not too straight nor too curly, but what she found so lovely about them was that they were so perfectly jet black. The shade was so dark with bright shines creating a great contrast. They were thin and soaked, but she could still tell each strand apart from another.

Her heart was going crazy, or maybe she was crazy. Looking at her junior in such an indecent way while they were still in the pool. He was standing up, cold water dripping down could be heard as each droplet hit the pool's surface, and he was holding on to her tightly as they stood near the deep end of the pool. His red trunks that matched his eyes stood out in the water, his red towel fell off his shoulder as he dove into the pool was floating on the surface. In fact, Mikan noticed that most of his swimming gear was red.

_So he likes red. _She noted, she would have to remember that for future reference.

He blinked once at her and continued to stare intently at her face as if trying to read her. She melted in them and felt her breathing getting heavier, he wasn't talking and that was weirding her out her.

"Nat- Natsume," she stammered, "stop looking at me like that, it's..." She shyly looked away and loosened her hold on his skin, "it's embarrassing." Her voice was quiet and meek as she softly let the last few words roll out. Natsume clicked his tongue and looked away, he seemed annoyed and slightly conflicted.

"Nat-"

"Let's go," his voice was rough as he walked over to the end of the pool, "it's getting dark."

She tightened her grip on him, "w- wait, didn't you have something to say?"

He looked at her briefly before setting her on the side, "it's nothing."

_Then why do you look so disappointed?_

* * *

**NOTES!**

I sadly can't link the painting Natsume and Mikan were talking about :( But if you search up 'Water-Lily Pond, Evening (left panel) by Claude Monet' it should come up :)


	2. It's a coincidence I tell ya!

In the early hours of Wednesday, Mikan Sakura lay on her bed muttering several not-very-child-friendly words under her breath. She was currently covering her ears with her pillow and kept squirming under her sheets. The alarm clock beside her kept blaring out the most obnoxious sound she's ever heard and she didn't know why she hadn't thrown it out earlier.

It wasn't a surprise that she couldn't stand it after a few seconds of it going off.

"OK SHUT UP YOU FUCKING DING DONG!" She got up and threw her pillow at it. Her hair was in a mess, drool was on the side of her face and in general, she was looking _just peachy_. "Jesus Christ, you ruined my amazing dream you dumbass little red clock." She glared at it before looking out of the window and groaning.

Mikan Sakura just had the most wonderful dream of her entire life. It was so vivid that she could still remember it after waking up; her dream about fluff puffs, the canteen's newest dessert just couldn't leave her head - but the person she was eating it with was even better. Mikan could feel herself smiling from just thinking about it that she had to bury her flustered face into her arms to calm herself down.

"Okay, I've got this!" She thrust a fist into the air and proceeded to go to the bathroom. She peeked through her door to check if her parents were at home.

_Negative, they're at work._

She smiled to herself, now she could make pancakes without her mum shouting at her for using too much syrup, but then it clicked.

_Wait they start work at 7, so, if they're at work then..._

She checked the clock on the wall and mentally cursed.

_SHIT! I'M LATE!_

She ran to her room and quickly changed into her GA uniform, grabbed her bag and hastily tied her hair into a simple high ponytail. Before running past the kitchen, she eyed the packet of crisps on the table. _Fuck breakfast, I can survive without it._

.

.

.

Or so she thought.

Along the long road to school, Mikan faced a little problem. She was starving and she forgot to bring money with her to buy food. She groaned with each step as her stomach growled even more.

"Maybe I should've brought the packet of crisps with me," she mumbled to herself as she massaged her stomach, "I'm sorry Mr Stomach, just another 30 minutes and we can beg Tsubasa or someone else for some food."

_If Hotaru still lived near me I could've asked her for some food, why did she have to move to London?_

She sighed heavily as she readjusted her bag,_ being hungry is one thing but why does it have to be so goddamn hot? _She used her hand as a defence against the sun and trekked onwards. Along the way, she came across her local corner shop and eyed the multiple packets of Pocky through the glass. She mentally cursed at herself for not bringing money because strawberry flavour Pocky was her favourite and... And...

She really wished someone would just pop out of no-where and offer her money.

_This means that I can't eat Fluff Puffs today..._ She stared at her feet and sighed for what seemed like the 100th time, today just wasn't her day.

"What's with you and sighing?" A deep masculine voice cut off her thoughts and she instantly whipped her head up to face the owner of it.

"N- N- N- N- NATSUME!?" She pointed at him, her eyes bulging out of their sockets as she took 3 steps back. "I- You- Me- Wha?" She stared dumbly at him and refused to believe that he was real, after all, she had NEVER seen him around her town before.

_Okay, maybe I saw him yesterday BUT STILL!_

He smirked slightly and opened his arms, "the one and only."

"What are YOU doing here?"

He retrieved a red Supreme (ay gang-gang) wallet from of his pocket and tossed it in the air before catching it. Each time he caught it the melodic sound of coins could be heard and Mikan practically drooled - she needed that money **now**.

"I'm waiting for someone." He held his wallet and waved it in front of her face, "but I heard that someone was hungry," he grinned at her facial expression, her eyes were watching the wallet in his hands, "sadly I'm not the sharing type so I-"

Mikan grabbed his arm and looked up at him, eyes begging and Natsume mentally gasped, "Natsume, I NEED food so PLEASE, as your SENPAI I'm BEGGING you. I'll do ANYTHING."

He raised a brow, "anything?"

She nodded slowly, she was beginning to realise what she said and him being the pervert that he was, she had to take caution around him. "Nearly anything."

He made a thinking face for a moment and paced around her, "I dunno... I helped you out yesterday, what makes you think that I'll help you again?"

She smiled hopefully at him, "because, you maybe... Hopefully... Thankfully... Don't hate me(?)"

And that did it.

.

* * *

**_Yesterday evening_**

The walk home was crushed by a heavy air of awkwardness, neither parties spoke to each other and were at least 50 centimetres apart. Since it was summer the air was humid, nothing but the soft buzzing of the bugs, the lamposts and their footsteps were heard on probably the most uncomfortable walk home Mikan's ever experienced.

She kept her head low, refusing to even make any form of contact with Natsume afraid that she'll go bright red and make it even worse than it already is.

Natsume, on the other hand, kept his hands stuffed in his pockets and was looking everywhere but at her. He occasionally gave her a slight glance whenever she took a step too far ahead of him but apart from that his eyes were primally fixed on his surroundings. The bright lights of outer Tokyo were nothing in comparison to the ones in the centre (which he had to look at every day) but it was nice to see the road Mikan took back home. He imagined her laughing and talking with the locals every time she walked to school, and he wanted her to talk to him and laugh with him too but he just had to be a dumbass and pull a dumbass move earlier in the pool. He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling the slight humid wind that was blowing his damp hair back.

"Hey." He didn't want the silence to last any longer, even he was starting to feel annoyed, "how far away is your home from here?"

She raised her head to look him, "ah um..." She turned her head to face the front and pointed at the buildings across a massive park, "I live in that apartment complex over there, it's like um... a 5-minute walk from where we currently are."

"Oh ok."

Silence fell on them again and both Natsume and Mikan mentally cursed at themselves in their heads. Natsume had no idea how to re-start the conversation without seeming rude, and he really didn't want to snap at her or anything like that.

"By the way, uh... Thanks for walking me home Natsume." Mikan really wanted to have a proper conversation with Nastume after the pool incidence earlier, she really didn't know what was going through his mind but she didn't want it to affect their friendship at all. "Sorry for making you walk me home this late."

He side-eyed her, "it's not like I didn't want to walk you home."

"Ah, yeah..." She drawled off and nodded her head slightly while pursing her lips, "that's true I guess."

"And didn't you know that the sun's in the sky for longer?" He chuckled slightly making Mikan look at him in confusion, "I thought the older you were the wiser, seems like it didn't happen to you."

She punched his arm slightly, "I AM WISE!" She huffed and folded her arms, "you need to have more respect for your elders Natsume."

"Right, whatever you say."

The came across a bend and soon they were at the entrance of the apartment complex Mikan lived in. "So, um, where do you live Natsume?"

He leaned against the huge glass sliding doors and smirked at her, "you see my naked body every day and now you want to know where I live? I know you like me but you're really starting to act like a stalker."

"What? NO! You're so full of yourself, Jesus Christ, I just wanted to know if you lived near me, so I won't feel as bad." She got her phone out and showed him the time, "SEE! Look, it's 8 PM dickface, I just don't want you travelling too far and your parents getting worried."

He rolled his eyes and stood up, "yeah, yeah, worrying my carers and shit." He ruffled his hair, "it's not like the centre is that far away."

"Eh?" Mikan swore she heard wrong.

As much he loved her, Natsume really felt banging her head in sometimes. "Centre. of. Tokyo. Are you deaf or what?"

"YOU WHAT!" Natsume flinched as he covered his ears. "That's like an hour walk from here, do you take the train?"

"So, what if I do?"

"Why don't you just go to a school there?"

He shrugged, "who knows."

"But coming from the centre to here by train is a bit…" She chewed the inner side of her cheek, "you must really worry your parents because of the distance, right Natsu-"

"This is your home, right?" Natsume really didn't like hearing people talk about his parents, and as much as he loved them and as much as he loves her, he would rather be on the train back home than hear the words 'parents', 'mum', 'dad' or even 'family' come out of her mouth. He's heard it too many times today.

She blinked. "Ah, yeah it is."

"Then bye." He ruffled her hair slightly and turned around to leave.

She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "Wait, don't you wanna stay over for a bit, like for tea or anything?"

He (being at least a few inches taller than her) looked down on her and smiled slightly, "my train leaves in 10 minutes, don't follow me back to the station_ Polka_."

"YOU!" She pointed a finger at his retreating figure, "I'M NOT A STALKER!"

He just raised an arm as if to say bye and left.

.

* * *

"Thanks Nat!" She giggled as she munched on some Pocky.

He grumbled, "don't mention it," and walked beside her with both hands in his pockets. He spent around 1530 Yen (£11) on buying 10 packets of Pocky for her and he could've easily said no and let her starve but _I just had to have a soft spot for this idiot now didn't I? _He looked at her from the corner of his eye and he could see her smile happily as she munched on 3 sticks of the sickeningly sweet strawberry Pocky at a time. He smiled to himself as he tilted his head back and looked up to the bright sky.

_I really do love her, don't I?_

"Natsume, can I ask you a question?"

He looked over his shoulder, "you're asking one right now."

She breathed out harshly through her nose as she resited the urge to hit him, "why were you there? I know you said you were waiting for someone but it looked like you've been waiting for a while..." She tilted her head to the side as she waited for him to answer.

"I decided to change my route." He answered bluntly and kept both eyes on the path ahead.

"Eh? Why?"

He slowed down and matched his pace with hers, "reasons."

She oh-ed and munched slowly on the stick, "then... Were you waiting for me?"

He smirked, "why? Hoping that I was?" She furiously shook her head, he felt himself laughing inside at her childish antics, "coincidences can happen." She made a conflicted face for a minute (_probably just realised how odd my story sounds_) so without a second thought Natsume grabbed her hand, "hey Polka, catch up."

"HEY NATSUME! WAIT FOR A MINUTE!"

.

* * *

.

**_At school_**

"GUYS! LISTEN TO THE MOTHERFUCKING HOT **TÉA**!" Sumire stormed into the classroom, her group of friends looked up at her sweaty face and scrunched their faces at her.

"Ew Sumire you're sweating," Luna knitted her brows together and pointed at Sumire's sweat patches, "so what's the 'hot' tea this time? I need to reapply my lipstick - it's a limited edition shade by Chanel."

Sumire grabbed her hand and tossed the lipstick to the side.

"HEY! That cost me a lot you know!"

She snapped her head around and grabbed Luna by the shoulders, "BITCH! SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Before Luna could even blink tears were already running down Sumire's face, "YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT BUT NATSUME IS DATING SAKURA!"

Luna opened her mouth and gasped, "NO FUCKING WAY!" She fanned her eyes as she scrunched her mouth up, "you're lying."

Sumire sniffed, looking visibly distraught, "IT'S TRUE LUNA! I SAW IT WITH MY OWN **EYES**!" She wailed as she hugged her 'best friend,' "THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS AS THEY CAME IN I'M WEEPING!"

Luna dabbed her eyes and grabbed her lipstick. "GET OUT OF MY WAY LOSERS!" She shoved Sumire out of the way and ran towards the entrance, her group followed along with the rest of the class who were all dying to see what was happening.

When she got to the scene she basically fainted.

* * *

**_At the entrance_**

"He- Hey Natsume..." Mikan glanced at their hands, at the faces around them and at Natsume's back.

"Hm?" Natsume looked at her and noticed the worried expression on her face.

"Could you um..." She nervously licked her lips, "let go of my hand?"

He could see that she was anxious, from her stiff posture and how uncomfortable she looked from the way people were scrutinising them. He sighed and used his free hand to ruffle his hair. "Don't worry," he whispered to her, and he put on the coldest glare he could put on and mouthed to Ruka who was standing in the frontline.

"Alright, guys!" Ruka turned around to the crowd of students from all over the school who wanted to see what was going on, "MOVE!" He waved his arms around and commanded the mob to get out of the way in the nicest way possible. When they didn't budge Tsubasa jumped down from the stairs behind the herd and started shouting, luckily for the gang he was the tallest out of them all so he stood out like the sun on a clear day.

"ARE YOU GUYS DEAF OR SOMETHING!? MOVE OUT OF THE FUCKING WAY! US 3RD YEARS ARE TRYING TO DO 3RD YEAR THINGS SO SHUT UP!" Gasps could be heard throughout the crowd and soon murmurs starting going round.

_(Andou swore he must be pissed)_

_(Hey! Is the carefree Andou-Senpai telling us to move?)_

_(Yo Senpai looks angry, let's go.)_

One-by-one the mob of Gakuen Alice students diminished and Ruka fist-bumped Tsubasa, a bright smile fixed on his face. "Hey Tsubasa-Senpai, you're awsome!"

Tsubasa just stuck his tongue out at the 3 of them, "what can I say? It's not a secret that I'm amazing." He looked at Mikan, his azure eyes sparkling as she smiled at him.

"Thanks, Tsubasa!" She tore out of Natsume's fierce grip and hugged her best friend, "I love you! Those guys were scaring me!"

Tsubasa chuckled and returned the hug, "awww Mikan! Anything for you hunny!" He accidentally made eye-contact with Natsume and nervously laughed, the look on the 1st year's face was anything but friendly and Tsubasa knew that he would be a dead man if he didn't clear up any misunderstandings, "anything for my sister-like figure!"

Natsume grunted in approval as he tugged Mikan's arm, "let's go."

"HEY NATSUME!" She whined at him, "let go! This is why people keep misunderstanding our relationship!"

He rolled his eyes, "yeah, yeah... Whatever." He yawned, "it's not like we're lying to them or anything."

Ruka grinned as he fondly slapped Natsume's back, "yeah Sakura-Senpai, aren't you two already dating?" Tsubasa nodded in agreement as if to say 'I thought so too.'

Mikan looked mortified and shook her head, "NO! WHO SAID THAT?!"

Natsume put an arm on her waist and calmly said, "so what if we are?"

Tsubasa and Ruka's smiles were indescribable, both looked as if they came across the biggest golden nugget ever and were about to be rich, "NO WAY! YOU GUYS ARE AN ITEM?" Tsubasa gaped as his eyes shined even brighter than before.

Mikan froze, her mouth wide open, she couldn't believe the situation she was in right now. She had 2 guys thinking that she was dating Natsume (thank the Lord she wasn't, amen) and she had Natsume who had one arm around her waist, pulling her close, and the other was being used to high-five Ruka. What annoyed her the most was that he wasn't even denying that they were dating, In fact, he was fuelling the rumours!

Before could get the chance to deny anything, the sound of a load of books could be heard dropping on the floor behind them. Mikan turned her head around to see what the source of the noise was and she swore that she had never felt as guilty as she did right then.

.

.

It was Koko.


	3. What just happened?

Natsume tightened his hold on Mikan's waist as he glared at Koko, he watched how the sandy-haired boy gazed at her waist and immediately got the wrong idea about the whole situation.

He was growling, Mikan could feel- No, hear it. She was scared, to say the least, she had no idea why Natsume couldn't stand the sight of Koko. She didn't know what she was scared of the most, losing Koko's trust or Natsume hurting Koko.

"Hey, Natsume..." She whispered, she looked around her and noticed how Ruka and Tsubasa were standing at least 5 feet away from them. _Those asses._

Natsume was in no mood to listen to what Mikan was saying, he felt as if he was being threatened just by the mere presence of Koko which was completely unheard of. THE Natsume Hyuuga, feeling threatened by a guy who was clearly lesser than him?

_Complete and utter bullshit. _Natsume knew it himself that he was (in many ways) superior to his challenger, _age is just a number_ to him because it didn't matter that the boy was 2 years older than him, he knew that he was the alpha and HE was the one that had Mikan. He's seen how the guy in front of him sticks to Mikan and he doesn't like it one bit.

"She's mine." He stated in the calmest (yet most threatening) voice Mikan had ever heard from him. She felt alarmed by this, Natsume was clearly misunderstanding everything and maybe this wouldn't have happened if he didn't hint to everyone that they were dating (which they're REALLY not) because then Koko wouldn't be looking this much in pain and she could tell Natsume that he's being an ass and he's embarrassing himself because...

**Koko likes him, not her.**

She didn't even know why he was so angry! His hold on her waist tightened and she winced. Koko, on the other hand, looked like he was about to cry. He had no idea what he was feeling right now, he didn't even know what was hurting him the most, Natsume holding Mikan or Mikan whispering something to Natsume's ear.

"I don't know who you are, but at least I know I'm better than you," Natsume said smugly as he ignored everything Mikan was whispering to him.

The girl felt like throttling him. _HE DOESN'T LOVE ME YOU DICKFACE! HE LIKES YOU SO STOP HURTING HIM AND LET GO OF ME! _She wanted to scream at him because of how stupid he was, and she wished she did because what Koko did next really broke her heart.

He left. Koko just left the scene, head down looking dejectedly at his feet.

Natsume smirked triumphantly as he looked down at her, you really couldn't blame him as he was left confused as to why both Tsubasa and Mikan were running after the boy. Both shouting his name (which was apparently Koko) and both glared at him, Mikan looking pissed and Tsubasa looking like Natsume just pulled an oopsie.

Ruka walked up to him and draped an arm over his shoulders, "you know Nat, I don't really know what just happened but my intuition is telling me that you just, now Jesus forgive me for my language, fucked everything up."

Natsume just looked ahead at where Tsubasa and Mikan once were, their voices could be heard from down the long hallway.

Ruka huffed and patted his back reassuringly, "it's like what Tsubasa always says, when life gives you lemons squeeze them back in life's eyes... Even when you have no idea what's going on and you don't know how to fix it."

.

* * *

.

To say that Mikan was worried was an understatement, she was absolutely stressed because of the situation from this morning. After Natsume made his 'bold' and unnecessary declaration to Koko ("_She's mine" my fucking ass, I ain't no possession!_), her and Tsubasa ran around the whole school searching for Koko - they even missed the first period for him! She cringed at the memory of Jinno-Sensei screaming his head off at them because apparently, maths (I'm British so I say maths) is 'very important for the future of this generation.'

She scoffed, _yeah right._

Tsubasa explained the whole situation to him, which didn't make it any better. Instead, he said that he'll punish all 3 of them. But because Koko was 'missing,' (the teachers probably knew where he went) only Mikan and Tsubasa spent their whole break cleaning the staff room on the 3rd year's floor.

Right now it was the last lesson before lunch, and there was still no sign of Koko anywhere. She placed her head on her desk and blew her hair, the guilt was strong but she couldn't help but blame Natsume for it as well.

_What the actual fuck is his problem? If he didn't joke around and tell everyone that I was his girlfriend then this wouldn't have happened, or maybe if everyone actually listened to me when I told them that I wasn't his girlfriend then I could've had a nice chat with Koko and told him all about what happened so there wouldn't have been such a big misunderstanding. SO ANNOYING!_

"Hey Mikan," Tsubasa turned around from his seat and smiled sadly at her, "are you still thinking about you-know-what? Because same."

Mikan just looked at him and sighed, "I'm just worried about Koko." She gazed sadly at the empty desk beside hers, "we haven't seen him since this morning and I just can't help but feel bad..."

He looked at her sympathetically and copied her sigh, "you know... Maybe he went home, maybe this was just too much for him. I mean, heck, I feel really bad as well, like, when I saw him standing behind you two the only thing that I could think of was 'fuck.'" He massaged his scalp and closed his eyes to destress.

Mikan couldn't help but be angry at one specific person, "I can't believe Natsume, what was he thinking? I'm not his girlfriend why did he joke around like that?"

Tsubasa looked up at her and blinked, "wait, you don't believe him?"

"Um, NO! How could I? He's just a pervert who likes to joke around, I don't think I've ever seen him serious outside of the pool."

Tsubasa tried to calm her down, "now Mikan... I've known Natsume since elementary and I know that he's not the type to joke about his feelings, he can be a dick sometimes and I admit that, but the only feelings he'll ever intentionally hurt are his own. Promise!"

Mikan opened her mouth to retort back at him but, as they always do in the movies, she was saved by the bell signaling the start of lunch.

"You know what? I don't want to even hear the name Natsume for the rest of today, now I'm going off to find Anna and we're going to eat lunch in peace. Bye." She stood up, picked her bag up and left. Leaving Tsubasa to run after her shouting:

"WAIT! MIKAN! WAIT FOR ME!"

.

* * *

.

**_Somewhere in the school_**

"So, what's wrong Koko?" Koko and Anna were sat on a bench outside the 1st year's building, Anna was just preparing to walk to the canteen when she spotted him crouched down near a tree, looking rather sad. "We were really worried about you because you went missing, you should've seen Mikan and Tsubasa, it was almost as if you died because the look on their faces was just indescribable."

After Anna found him, Koko didn't want her to call anyone over, he wanted to confide in her. "Hey, Anna, how do you get over a heartbreak?"

Anna literally gasped. "Wait, Koko... Did Natsume..."

He shook his head, "oh no, no, he didn't reject me or anything like that. Well, not yet anyway..." He sighed, "I just think he's dating Mikan."

Anna nearly spat out the water she was about to swallow, "KOKO NO!" She grabbed him by the shoulders, "no Koko, I CAN ASSURE YOU that they're NOT dating. In fact, Mikan told me everything and they're just super close friends."

"Then why did he tell everyone that they are?"

She pursed her lips, "well, ummmm... He just likes teasing Mikan a lot, they're just friends, I'm REALLY SURE that they're really just really close friends. There's nothing happening between them."

Even after Anna said that Koko still didn't cheer up, "well, it's really obvious that he likes her. He said some really mean things to me, it's really obvious that he thinks that I," he pointed at himself, "I, someone who is clearly not straight, has a crush on Mikan, and then he started to say things like 'I don't know who you are, but at least I know I'm better than you,' and it really hurt me you know? I felt like crying Anna, it just hurt so much." By the end of his sentence, his voice started to crack and Anna pulled him into a big hug.

"Awww Koko, there's plenty of other fish in the sea, Natsume is just a dick who doesn't know what he's missing out on..." _Actually, Natsume-kun obviously likes Mikan but there's no way I'm telling him that._

_._

_._

"Natsume's a what now?" A deep voice brought an awkward silence as both Koko and Anna froze. Anna silently prayed in her head as she turned her head around to see who the source of the voice was.

"Hiiii Hyuuga-kun... What a surprise to meet you here on a lovely Wednesday lunch-time." Her body was stiff and she tried her best to fake a smile while Koko just sat there in silence, too embarrassed to speak.

Natsume leaned against the window frame behind them and raked a hand through his messy raven hair, Anna could swear that she heard Koko internally melt. "And you guys are?"

Anna cleared her throat as she stood up and faced him, "I'm Anna Umenomiya, a third year and Mikan's friend." Upon hearing Mikan's name Natsume blinked and grunted in approval. "And that's Koko," she pointed to the boy next to her who looked as if he wanted to hide, "he's a third year like me and is also a friend of Mikan... Oh! And he's also part of the GA Swim Team, you've probably seen him around."

Koko could swear that he felt like someone was staring at him hard enough that they bore holes into his skull. Anna punched his arm and forced him to turn around. He wished he didn't. Standing in the hallway behind him, leaning against the window frame, basked in the glory of the afternoon sun, was Natsume Hyuuga, the apple of his eye who looked as if he wanted to kill him.

"Hi, Natsume-kun -"

"I don't think we're close enough to call each other by our first names." Natsume's voice sent chills down his spine and he automatically gulped and looked to Anna for help. Natsume stared down hard on Koko, his eyes were filled with so much hatred that Anna flinched.

"Um, Hyuuga-kun?" Anna had heard stories about how Natsume was both feared yet respected by feared by his peers - and now she knew why. Heck, this kid had the talent to be so graceful and amazing in water but he had the ability to scare a person shitless just by looking at them. And all Anna knew was that he despised Koko because of a big misunderstanding. "You look like you're in a rush, are you going to see Mikan by any chance?"

The raven-haired hunk raised a brow and diverted his attention from Koko to Anna, "so what if I am?"

Anna mentally slapped herself for asking such a dumb question when Koko was around, but she couldn't stop herself from diving in deeper, "what's your relationship with our sweet Mikan, me and Koko here are just dying to know." She could feel Koko cuss at her in his head but she was oblivious to this, she just wanted to find out if Natsume actually did like Mikan.

Natsume smirked and leaned in close to Anna's ear, both hands on the sides of the window to hold him in place. Koko immediately forgot about his fear and pain and wiped his saliva, Anna, however, tried to hold back a blush as she felt shocked by this sudden intimacy.

"She's mine." And then he walked off down the hallway, way out of Koko and Anna's line of sight.

.

.

Mikan groaned as she returned to her seat in the classroom. She went out searching for Anna only to not find her anywhere, the only thing she gained from her mini trip was a sandwich and a carton of milk generously bought by Tsubasa.

"First Koko goes missing and now Anna has as well!" She slammed both hands hard on her desk, "this is absolutely unbelievable! Where are they!?"

Tsubasa dragged a chair from his desk and sat down in front of Mikan, "you know Mikan, maybe they're out on a little trip without us." He bit into his wrap, "or maybe Anna found Koko and has decided to spend her time with him rather than with us."

Mikan shook her head, "or maybe they got abducted by aliens!"

Tsubasa scoffed and nearly choked on his wrap, "you're joking..."

She pouted cutely at him, "this academy is known for its mysteries..."

"Yeah sure, Aliens," he chuckled, "now that I would love to see."

Yuu came up to the both of them and tapped Mikan politely on the shoulder, "Mikan-Chan, Hyuuga-Kun from 1-B is here to see you."

Both Mikan and Tsubasa turned around to look at the door and sure enough, there was Natsume Hyuuga leaning on the door frame, both hands folded on his chest and a hard stare fixated on the pair.

Tsubasa knew what was going on in his mind and tried to fix the situation. "Hey, Natsume!" He waved at his junior, "so you came to see Mikan but not me? Aw, I'm sad now."

Natsume merely rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, very nice to see you." He walked over to them and stood beside Mikan. The news of this morning reached the ears of every single student in GA, Mikan could feel every pair of eyes on her little desk right now and all she could do was nervously smile.

Yuu stood tensely behind Tsubasa, feeling the heavy presence of Natsume, he fiddled nervously with his hands. Tsubasa, however, chewed on his wrap and looked between the two, paying no obvious attention to everyone watching them.

"Sho Nashume _(so Natsume)_," his words muffled because of the food in his mouth, "ish cute and all dat you came uf ere to visit ush, but why are you ere, exshatly? _(It's cute and all that you came up here to visit us, but why are you here, exactly?)_"

Mikan felt her body burn as an arm slid beside her head and tilted it so she was literally leaning on Natsume's chest, she froze and from the corner of her eye, she could see a smirk form on his lips.

"I'm here to visit my girlfriend, duh." He said it so simply as if the words that just came out of his goddamn mouth didn't have any weight to them. Gasps were heard across the classroom, as well as thuds from fangirls fainting because THE Natsume Hyuuga just announced that he's not single. This statement caused turmoil in Mikan's brain, was she happy? She had no fucking clue. Confused? Oh yes, she was.

And she needed answers, but firstly, she had to calm the whole class down and explain what was happening. She tried to remove Natsume's hand (which was wrapped around her and was playing with her hair) but this guy was probably a pro-wrestler in his past life because she couldn't escape his grip. Instead, she decided to just say it there and then.

"Guys, I can assure you that we're NOT-"

"Hey, Natsume!" Mikan could hear herself mentally scream, just when she was about to explain to everyone that she's not dating Natsume and that this is probably some weird perverted game of his, someone just had to interrupt her. Both she and Natsume tilted their heads to the side to see who the source of the voice was - and the person who said it made Mikan click her tongue.

Koizumi.

_Fuck you Koizumi, I hope you burn in Hell._

Natsume, on the other hand, didn't even bother to pay her any attention, instead, he continued to play with Mikan's hair.

"What." He said without even looking at her.

Luna glared at Mikan while twirling a chunk of her hair, "if you two are really dating, then kiss her as evidence."

The class nodded in agreement, Tsubasa leaned back in his chair and watched the drama unfold, Natsume stopped playing with Mikan's hair and looked up at Luna, and Mikan... She had some very _unfriendly _thoughts going around in her head.

_You know what Koizumi? Double fuck you. _

"Gladly." Natsume grinned as he made Mikan turn around to face him, his eyes were fixated on her lips as he reduced the distance between hers and his, "let's show them what we are, Mikan." And he pushed her head towards him and covered her lips with his.

She squirmed at the contact. His lips brushed hers, it wasn't innocent like what she had expected but was a tease, and then fueled with passion and fire. Each touch of his tongue burned her lips, and she soon found herself giving into the kiss. The room was silent as they watched the two, Luna sniffed as she turned away and walked out of the door, soon followed by the rest of her gang. But even after she left the kiss didn't end for another few minutes, but when it did they both leaned their foreheads against each other, breaths shaking and cheeks burning.

"Mikan," he whispered, his voice low and husky. Natsume rested his arm around her shoulders and smiled inwardly, he was certain that this was love and after kissing her and looking at her red face while surrounded by her fellow classmates, he knew that he wanted to do it again.

Mikan touched her lips and looked around her, everyone was blushing but they weren't as red as she probably was at that moment. She was completely unprepared for that, no amount of cheesy shoujo manga could've told her what a kiss would've felt like. But despite everything that happened today, she wanted to repeat it. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her heart tingle uncomfortably in her chest. She looked up at Natsume, who hid his face with his hair.

Tsubasa started clapping, which was soon followed by the rest of the class. "Go get a room you two!"

Natsume stood up abruptly and grasped Mikan's arm, he walked out of the classroom while dragging her away with him.

"W-Wait Natsume!" The class could hear her shouting at him from the corridor and after they were gone they began to talk about what just happened. Yuu, who stood behind Tsubasa for the entire thing, sat down where Mikan once sat and looked at Tsubasa.

"Are you okay Tsubasa?" He gently asked the star tattooed boy who had his eyes fixated on the door where the pair walked out of.

He nodded, "I feel like a father who just saw his daughter get married if you get what I mean."

Yuu smiled, "but he'll make her happy, right?"

Tsubasa returned the smile, "yeah, I know he will." But his smile soon fell when he looked at the empty desk beside Mikan's.

_Now all that's left to do now is tell Koko._


End file.
